A Different Path
by Nymariaa
Summary: After it was all over, Naruto intended to ask Hinata to marry him. But he didn't. - Or Naruto's realisation at the end and three important conversations that deal with it. (Alternate ending, mild slash)


(Alternate ending)

After it was all over, Naruto intended to ask Hinata to marry him.

But he didn't.

He could picture them, her support for his position as hokage, his support for her clan heritage, having children, growing old together.

Loving her would be easy.

Like breathing.

Most importantly it would be the safe choice, no risk at all in asking, because ultimately Hinata had always loved Naruto in one way or another, put him first no matter what.

At first there was this foolish crush, after he'd saved her from some bullying village kids. He didn't do it for only unselfish reasons, he'd been despised his whole life and for once he'd wanted to play the hero, the kind of hero that never came for him. She'd been so grateful and kind, and he just wanted to see her smile, that's why he'd given her his scarf.

It could have ended there - did end for him- but her feelings grew over time, beyond the friendship they'd developed, until it got to the point she was willing to die for him.

That'd been the time he really understood her feelings were not temporary, but constant and waiting for him to decide. Because she loved him in her quiet way and only her straight-out declaration had managed to open his eyes regarding to that.

The truth was, he didn't think he deserved her. Of course it wasn't fair. Hearing her say she loved him, should have made him one of the happiest people on the planet, but it didn't.

For the longest time, he didn't realise why.

###

1\. Hinata

"I'm sorry, Hinata-chan. So sorry!" He tightens his grip on her and pulls her more closely to himself.

"Y-you d-do - don't have to a-a-apologise", she stutters quietly, muffling the words as she buries her head more deeply into his chest. Tears soak through the fabric of his jacket and Naruto can feel their warm wetness on his skin.

How is it possible to hurt the people he loves so much?

He doesn't want to ask, but his mouth opens against his will and words fairly tumble out, "Forgive me? Please?"

His voice is high and squeaky, not at all resembling the man he'd grown to be. He wishes himself back to the battlefield, to be anywhere but here at the memorial, with Hinata in his arms.

There is a sudden push against his hold and he let's go in confusion, looking down at the girl in front of him. Her face is pale, tears still running down her cheeks, but her eyes have an unexpectedly forceful expression and her mouth is twisted in determination. She looks straight into his eyes, refuses to hide from him or the world.

"Of course. Y-you did n-nothing w-... there is nothing to f-forgive, N-naruto-kun." The shaking hasn't abated yet, but she is more controlled, tries visibly to restrain her reaction.

At that moment she looks so very beautiful, a mixture of fragility and unforseen fortitude.

Strength doesn't always require physical proof and this, this right now is true strength.

And though it hurts to look at her, he's sure that he has never loved her more.

###

It wasn't Sakura.

Sakura, who was fierce where Hinata was mild, his strong, passionate teammate and best friend.

Naruto had loved the thought of them together, that silly fantasy he'd spun as a child and clung to. Always an unreachable goal, perfect in its own way. When Sakura had wanted him back, she'd destroyed that fantasy, forced him to realise the truth and acknowledge that despite everything, his heart didn't belong to her either.

She was the sister he'd never wanted, but got anyway.

And he was grateful every day to have her in his life.

###

2\. Sakura

"You didn't ask her?!" she cries angrily, smacking him on the head, as she plops down in the seat next to him at Ichiraku's. "One miso ramen, please."

"Coming right up! " Is the waitress' bright reply and she gives Naruto a smile without even looking at Sakura. A new girl apparently, not long ago hired, that keeps giving Naruto little glances and blushes, when he notices. It is kind of embarrassing, but still unfamiliar enough to be somewhat sweet and nice, instead of annoying.

At her inquiry of whether he would like one more bowl, he just shakes his head.

The meal is placed in front of Sakura and she snaps her chop sticks and digs in, while giving him weird, aborted looks.

"What?" he finally snaps at her.

"You didn't eat much, did you Naruto?" she asks, eyes narrowing in contemplation.

"I'm not hungry", he grumbles under his breath, staring at the empty ramen bowl.

"See, that's how I know something is wrong", she says in a gentle tone, "what's with the gloom and doom? Is it Hinata?" Her worry is shining through, as she musters her team mate and considers and dismisses the possibilities of his sudden lack of appetite one after the other.

"She's fine. She will be", he declares determinedly. "It's not her. Not really, I guess? I- I just couldn't ask her Sakura-chan", he adds hesitantly and sighs.

They let the silence stretch between them, Sakura eating and Naruto sipping at his cup of sake. There was a time Naruto could not have sat still without fidgeting for more than a minute. Iruka-sensei had always complained about it.

How war changes people. Now he feels tired and the energy to shift and fidget unnecessarily just isn't there anymore. His focus remains subconsciously on staying on alert and being ready to fight at a moment's notice.

"Oh. I thought... it was what you wanted, wasn't it?" Sakura intones carefully as if threading on glass. One false step and it splinters into thousands of pieces.

"No. I don't know what I want" he abruptly barks out in frustration, startling half the guests out of their conversations. "Sorry." His sheepish apology at his outburst settles everything down quickly and many give a nod or eye him with approval. Konoha's hero indeed.

"I didn't mean to yell at you, Sakura. "

"I know. It's alright Naruto, you've got time to figure it out."

"I guess", he says doubtfully, lost in thought as he considers it. The concept of actually having time is still rather foreign to his way of thinking. Then he seems to remember her presence and gives her one of his trademark, blinding smiles that crinkle his eyes and show his teeth. "You better believe it!"

Not at all distracted, she says, "You know I'm here for you, right? "

His eyes soften at the question and he nods, this time with a small, genuine smile.

"Thanks, Sakura-chan."

###

Almost from the beginning there had been something between them, a connection. A bond.

In their youth, their training on Team 7, Sasuke had been his rival and his best friend. They'd been brothers, enemies, allies.

In many things they were opposites. Where Naruto was blond, tanned, loud and decidedly orange with a happy-go-lucky attitude, Sasuke's appearance was dreary with black hair, pale skin and a very conservative colour preference. However it was Sasuke's presence, his aura, that made him stand out from the crowd. There was no need to be noisy or talkative to catch and focus attention on himself.

Although their personalities clashed in most things, people forgot their similarities. Incredible determination to succeed, stubbornness born out of desperation, the ability to lead and never give up despite the odds.

Loneliness.

They competed in everything, whether small or big and only the one thing would always remain in a draw between them.

What had been worse? Never knowing one's family and growing up alone, or having a short, sweet childhood that ended abruptly with the massacre of one's whole family.

Naruto would give anything for a few moments with his parents, Sasuke would give anything to forget.

They were so different yet similar all the same.

The other half of a whole.

###

3\. Sasuke

The sun has barely displaced the dark of night, when Naruto encounters Sasuke on the old Team 7 training ground. It has been such a long time since he could watch Sasuke train, he just looks at him for a while, observing his technique with the sword and the changes in his balance due to his new prosthetic hand. It had taken all of the combined persuasion skills of Team 7 to stop Sasuke from leaving before their new hands were ready.

It still feels weird to use a prosthetic, but better that than a stump. He also has to brush up on his training with it, or he would lose precious seconds in a fight.

Then Sasuke stops his training and looks at the copse of trees Naruto is hiding in. Of course he isn't naive enough to think that his friend has only just noticed him, he probably knew the second Naruto had landed upon the branches of the tree.

Naruto throws caution in the wind and jumps right up to Sasuke.

"Early training session? "

"Yes", he replies, taking up a dozen kunai and throwing them at different targets, always perfectly.

Nostalgia hits Naruto at the display and he can see the image of a younger Sasuke tease him mercilessly at his lack of skill, while he himself explodes with rage.

"Mind if I join you?" he asks with a challenging grin and lets his cloak slide to the ground. Sasuke'slips twitch into an almost-smile and he accepts with a decisive nod.

The last time they fought, they'd both lost an arm, but this is different.

Sparring with Sasuke is a strange rush of excitement and pleasure, they keep each other on their toes, know the best way to attack the other's combat style and even have the same handicap with the prosthetic arm.

It is exhilarating, until Sasuke abruptly signals for a pause, giving them a chance to catch their breath.

"I heard congratulations are in order? " Sasuke says, wiping sweat from his forehead. He goes over to one of the trees at the edge of the training area and sits down, letting his back rest against its trunk.

Still reeling from the spar, Naruto asks in confusion, as he follows and slumps against a tree nearby, "What? Why?"

"You and Hinata. I must have been told countless times by many noisy villagers that you'll be tying the knot soon", he says, obviously irritated that he has to prompt Naruto for a response.

"They're very interested in your love life. Considering you're the future hokage, it isn't really a surprising development, I suppose", he adds blandly.

Naruto shrugs and pain flickers across his face. "I'm not marrying Hinata."

Sasuke's eyes widen in surprise and he looks at Naruto like he's one of the most incomprehensible specimen he's ever encountered. "You're not? Why? Still holding out for Sakura? "

"Nope", he laughs, "I think Lee would kill me, now that she's finally agreed to a date. "

"Why then?" And this is Sasuke's interrogation face, stoic and expressionless apart from the minute twitches that give away his curiosity.

Naruto doesn't answer, just slides closer, until he sits right on the grass next to him. For a while, Sasuke keeps watching Naruto, waiting for something, anything, but for the first time Naruto resists and ignores the urge to say something.

They sit there in silence for a while, enjoying the sounds of the forest waking up.

"Are you staying this time?" Naruto finally asks.

"I don't know yet. I feel like I have to go, that something is waiting out there for me to see. Somehow this is my road to redemption. " He gazes at Naruto in this intense way of his like he shoulders the burden of far too many people and sins.

Naruto sighs, not even disappointed, just exhausted to the bones. He's expected that kind of response from the beginning, but couldn't bring himself not to at least ask. "I'm tired of chasing after you, Sasuke. "

"You don't have to. I didn't ask you to", Sasuke says, looking at the sky and how the colour turns lighter and lighter, heralding the arrival of the day. "This doesn't feel like home. It hasn't for a long time. "

"What did you expect, you ran away. Konoha could be your home again though, if you want it to be." Although Naruto's expression is carefully blank, it is easy to notice the concealed longing in his eyes.

And whether Sasuke sees it or not, he doesn't show any reaction to it.

"My family is dead, there's nothing here for me."

Naruto kisses him.

It isn't passionate, rough or in any way special. The world doesn't stop turning and they do not lose themselves in each other.

It's not romantic.

Just a quick peck on the mouth, lasting barely more than a second.

And yet it's more than any grand declaration, means more than a thousand words. It's the end to a chapter of their lives they weren't aware of for the longest time.

It's a promise.

The mere possibility of a beginning.

Suddenly Naruto stands up under Sasuke's measuring stare and hurries to retrieve his cloak and search through the pockets, until he comes upon the item he apparently needs. Sprinting back to his side, he holds it out for Sasuke to take.

Still sitting, not having moved an inch, Sasuke eyes stray from Naruto to the thing offered to him. It's his old, scratched forehead protector cradled gently in Naruto's hand.

"Please stay. Try. I know this could be your home again. " Not taking his eyes from Sasuke, noting the hesitation, the hint of fear, he says with emphasis, "If you think you have to leave, I won't stop you, Sasuke. But you can always come back, there is a place for you here, believe me. "

Sasuke reaches out to take it, his focus divided between the symbol of his allegiance to the village of his childhood and Naruto's honest, earnest expression of hope.

"Maybe I will."

###

AN: Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it! Please leave comments, if you like. Criticism as well is totally appreciated!

Just had to write something after reading the canon ending. ^^

(I've finally caught up with Naruto and frankly I'm disappointed with the ending. All live happily ever after with their families and kids... ,in my opinion, that has no depth at all and is not very believable after all that has happened.)


End file.
